IMDb app update adds ability to purchase movie tickets

Internet Movie Database teams up with ticket seller Fandango to allow users to find movies at local theaters and purchase tickets for specific show times.

IMDb’s mobile app has been updated to allow movie fans to purchase movie tickets from their mobile devices.

The update, which was issued Monday for the Internet Movie Database’s iOS and Android apps, lets users find movies at local theaters and purchase tickets for specific show times. While the new app will compete with Fandango’s app, it will also piggyback on the popular movie ticket buying app to handle the transaction in much the same way Apple’s iOS 6.1 does.

And like the Siri update, IMDb’s ticket purchase option is available only in the U.S.

IMDb’s app also allows the purchase of movies and TV shows on Blu-ray and DVD via Amazon Mobile — not a surprising collaboration considering Amazon owns IMDb. But users will have to have the Amazon Mobile app installed on their device to complete that purchase.

The update promises expanded bios on celebrities and includes a “Coming soon” button that will allow fans to save an upcoming movie’s release date to a personal calendar.

The partnership expands the reach of Fandango, which sells tickets to nearly 20,000 screens nationwide, most notably with the AMC and Regency Theaters groups. In addition to its own app and the Siri collaboration, the ticket seller also inked a deal last year to become the sole option for buying movie tickets on Yahoo Movies sites.